Georgia To Change Official Language To English : The Two-WayGeorgia has changed its second official language to English from Russian. The move is part of an official effort to push the country closer to the West, and away from Russia.

Georgia To Change Official Language To English

No this time it's the country of Georgia. According to Al Jazeera they are changing the second official language of the country from Russian to English. Russian has been spoken in Georgia since it was annexed by the Russian Empire in the early 19th century, and its other neighbors, Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan aren't exactly destination spots for English majors.

But, with tensions with Russia still high after the 2008 conflict in Georgia, this is just one more way for the Georgian government to thumb its nose at the Russians. It's also, from the interviews in the piece, an attempt to turn Georgia from a Russian orbit to a Western one, and English is seen as one way to do it.